Should epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors be considered ideal drugs for the treatment of selected advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients?

摘要: An ideal target-based agent for the treatment of cancer patients should fulfil a number requirements, including availability biomarkers to select target population, superiority over existing treatments and specific advantages in terms pharmacokinetics and/or metabolism. Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), such as gefitinib, erlotinib afatinib, have been investigated non-small cell lung (NSCLC), date large amount clinical data are available. The activity EGFR-TKIs was initially unselected leading unsatisfactory results. However, discovery that response is associated with presence activating EGFR mutations NSCLC, has led design trials which were selected on basis mutational status or pathological features highly mutations. In this respect, several phase III randomized demonstrated first-line EGFR-TKIs, compared chemotherapy, longer progression-free survival, higher rate, better toxicity profile quality life carrying Although no survival advantage demonstrated, all suffered high post-progression cross-over, predictably undermined This review will summarize current evidence strongly support hypothesis afatinib drugs NSCLC